DRIES VAN NOTEN combined some of the season's key trends today as a dark palette enlivened with tightly controlled brights, also seen at Paul Smith, characterised an offering of outdoorsy separates. The fabrication too was familiar, albeit tackled as only Dries can, with neutral featherlight silks and nylons - as seen at Emporio Armani and D&G - given his utilitarian spin. Even the details had a familiar feel: with usually internal strapping and taping put on the outside, as Kris Van Assche did at Dior Homme. But a season with strong riffs in colour and fabrication can do nothing to take the shine off Van Noten's collection. His customer doesn't do much hunting or fishing, one imagines, but the pieces will please him - and his other half - when worn in the pursuit of urban sports too.
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